Making Sales

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Most artists aren't salespeople. It truly is a position with a job description, just like being an artist. In this DIY world where we are all supposed to design our own marketing materials, photoshop images of our work, haggle ad space in magazines and online, change the oil and the spark plugs in the car, check out the latest online video on how to update the plumbing and electrical in our home, and self diagnose our illnesses we are subjected to some sort of psychological virus that causes a need to do it all ourselves.

Now I most definitely understand budgets - not having the funds to hire someone to help you - so you have to do it yourself. (If you can afford to hire someone to help you... then read no further!) I also know, especially after this RECESSION (man I really hate that word), with the closing of several galleries that represented my work, that galleries can at times be a hard sell on many artists. But if at all possible, stick to what you know. DIY as the last resort. NOTE: I think it is absolutely one of the most important things to understand sales in order to oversee what is being done for you. Be sure to ask questions, read books, talk to friends, etc. if you do go the gallery route.

However, if a gallery isn't in your cards and you don't have someone that can help you market yourself and finalize the sales that you make, then here are some pointers.

1. Get comfortable talking about your work! You need to know how to communicate what it is that you do, how you do it, and why it is important to own it. Knowing the positive aspects of why someone should buy your artwork, whether you believe it or not, is key in presenting yourself to potential collectors. Run through scenarios with someone else that will give you criticism.
2. Believe what you are saying! If you take the "I'm not worthy" approach or immediately start discounting your work people are not going to see the value either. You have to believe that what you are selling is worth what you are selling it for. If not... then lower the price until you are comfortable. I'm not advocating for $25 sales, but if you honestly don't believe that you are worth it then no one else will either.
3. Converse. Yes, have a conversation with potential collectors. No one likes to hear a sales pitch. Create a short introduction (30 seconds or so) as to you, your work and the piece they are inquiring about but open it to questions or respond to their interest. An actual conversation is an opportunity (you can find out more about your potential collector, their interests, other works in their collection, why they like this particular piece, etc. - LISTEN) and will also make them more receptive to your work in general.
4. Always make sure that your questions are open ended. Instead of saying "Do you like this painting?" I would ask, "What is it that you like most about this piece?" The answer will help you understand why they are interested in your work and will help you push those points to close the sale.
5. Be prepared with a rebuttal. If a potential collector offers you a "No Thanks", not to be pushy, but if you truly believe they like your work and are interested then understand two things. They may not have enough information to truly understand the postives of buying your work. The second, which really helped me, is that you are NEVER going to sell something to someone who truly doesn't want it. Sounds silly, but it really changed how I felt about doing sales myself.
6. Try to close the sale. THIS IS THE HARDEST PART FOR ALL OF US. If you think the interest is there, and before they get too comfortable talking with you and become your new BFF, take a deep breath and try a little push. When the time is right you will know it (even more with practice) and ask politely, "Would you like to have me write this up?" If they offer a negative on that question, just let the conversation continue and try to get them to offer another positive move ahead (another, "I really do love it!" would lead me to say, "I am so flattered. Let me just get my paperwork and let's put a dot on it. Are you ready?" This sounds so silly to some but - just by asking for the sale your chances of making it increases so unbelievably that you can't afford not to ask.
7. CLOSE THE SALE. If you are writing up your own sales or have someone helping you, make sure you get the collector to a space where you are actually finalizing the sale or hand them off to the person who will complete it. This next suggestion, as strange as it sounds to some - try to also upsell or have the person helping you know to upsell. From fast food restaurants to the highest end department stores, all good sales people understand the upsell - "Would you like fries with that?", "Would like me to see if we also have this in another color?" to yours, "Are there any other pieces you were looking at today? You know Mr. Sellars has a beautiful new giclee of this piece, would you like to purchase it for one of your many homes and/or yachts." Okay, I just said that to be funny... but you wouldn't believe how true that is and how many times I have made a sale offering another two to three pieces. The most ever in one sale was upselling a large photograph to an additional 5 pieces. It works.

Now you just have to sit back and do what all good business people do. Pay your taxes, write the buyer a thank you note, add them to your mailing list and database, mark the work sold, file everything, etc.

So what do you thing? Any advice you have to offer? Questions?

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